back in the game

i feel like it's been forever since i actually ran a 5K.  the last one was probably like two months ago!

add that to the list of "things i never thought i'd say."  heh.

anyway, i'd signed up for a local run that follows a route i do pretty regularly while training - but backwards.  see, when i map my runs i typically choose one that offers lots of downhill stretches without too many hills.  haha, i'm such a lazy runner.  i don't even know if i can call myself a runner with my whole walk/run style.  but whatever.  i was happy to add another bib to my collection.  and i liked having such a short drive to get there.

check-in was simple, and i was parked close enough to go back to the car and toss my race shirt in.

and because i was early, i strolled around and checked things out.

the sun was coming up, and it was warming up pretty fast.  i was glad when it was finally time to line up and get the show on the road.

it was a little weird running my route backwards, and i struggled a bit on the hilly parts.  slowly but surely, i got through.

my sparkly running skirts are always a hit with fellow females, young and old.  at the water stop, i got lots of "oooh, i love your skirt!" from the volunteers.

because we didn't have timing chips on, i was tracking my progress using my nike+ app on my phone.  and i was excited to find that i had actually managed a sub-11-minute mile, especially given my many walk breaks on the hills.

but i was so excited that i forgot to shut the thing off, and by the time i remembered it had me at closer to that 11-mile pace.  poop.  oh well.  look, i got a ribbon!

back at home, the bean was excited to report that she'd won one of the games they played at golf lessons and got to pick out a frozen treat.  yay for an icee at 9:30 in the morning!

then it was time for dance class.  grumpy ballerina.

that pretend pout of hers is pretty killer.  because, of course, when she got to the studio she was all smiles.

i'd say it was a pretty good saturday, eh?